Carnival is taking steps to prevent poor behavior on its cruises by announcing they will be issuing $500 fines and additional detainment costs for those found guilty of unruly behavior on board. The cruise line giants, which are now back in full flow following a tough couple of years for the industry during the pandemic, recently updated its guest code of conduct to reflect the new policy changes, reaffirming their ongoing commitment to keeping its passengers safe and providing a great experience for all of its guests in the process.
The change to the cruise line’s code of conduct comes after several announcements reminding passengers to maintain respectful behavior whilst on board and comes in the wake of several high-profile altercations that occurred on their cruise ships. Here’s a look at the new fines set to be imposed by Carnival Cruises and why the cruise line has decided to make the changes now.
Carnival Adds New Fines – Information For Travelers
Unfortunately for those who love travel, most of us have encountered enough unruly passengers on board flights, cruises, and trains to know that there’s rarely a happy ending, and it always tends to spoil a trip in some way or another. Disappointingly, the situation regarding unruly passengers is getting worse, with the aviation industry forced to take extra action to deter passengers from behaving poorly – and it seems that cruise lines are now starting to take similar action to improve the situation.
Carnival Cruise Line, which is the largest cruise line in the world in terms of the number of passengers it serves, has been forced to update its code of conduct in an attempt to stem the tide of unruly guests on the open seas, with guests now liable to receive a significant fine in the event of poor behavior. Whilst it’s not a guarantee that behavior will improve, it is hoped that it serves as a sizeable deterrent against unpleasant behavior.
The updates section of the cruise line’s policies now reads:
“Consistent with our commitment to safety, disruptive behavior is not tolerated and any guest whose conduct affects the comfort, enjoyment, safety or well-being of other guests or crew will be disembarked at their own expense and banned from sailing on Carnival in the future. Any violation of our Code of Conduct may result in a fine of $500 and reimbursement of expenses incurred by Carnival as a result of the detainment or disembarkation.”
The updated policy comes following a recent email by the company back in August, which appealed to the better nature of their guests and reminded passengers about their expectations whilst on board. The reminder, which was added to the company’s Know Before You Go emails, stated that “experience has taught us that everyone has a better time when children are supervised, noise in the hallways is kept to a minimum, guests follow queues, and that a spirit of community and neighborliness is shown by all.”
Recently, there have been several high-profile incidents that might have prompted Carnival to take such action. An altercation in a nightclub on Carnival Magic saw several guests greeted by local law enforcement in New York back in June, whilst July saw similar scenes unfold on Carnival Elation as it returned back to Florida. With the nature of cruise lines operating in remote areas, such altercations can cause prospective guests to worry about their safety on board, and so it is hoped the revamped code of conduct provides peace of mind.
If found guilty of unruly behavior, prospective guests may be liable to pay far more than the $500 quoted. Fees added on top could include the cost to call out local law enforcement, the cost of detaining passengers and docking fees – not to mention the extra money they’d have to spend on booking last-minute flights and accommodation from wherever they are forced to disembark. The fine itself is not automatic, and a thorough investigation is likely to be conducted before it is levied against passengers.
